Axiomatic Design; smart methodology or common sense?!

During the last two weeks I heavily got in touch with Axiomatic Design, which get some extra attention those days at KAIST. According to Wikipedio is Axiomatic design a systems design methodology using matrix methods to systematically analyze the transformation of customer needs into functional requirements, design parameters, and process variables.

The method gets its name from its use of design principles or design Axioms (i.e., given without proof) governing the analysis and decision making process in developing high quality product or system designs.

As shown in the picture the design process exist of three processes which are connecting four different domains. In the first domain the customer needs (CN) are investigated. Based on the CN the functional requirements (FR) are conducted. The third stage, the physical domain (DP) holds the physical elements in designing a product or a process. And finally the process domain (PV) contains the process variables of a design.

The main principles behind this methodology is decoupling elements in a design so it can functionate independently (actually only for reducing complexity in a design) and secondly is the process of 'zigzagging' during the design process. By zigzagging the four different domains are coupled and the process of desiging is utalized properly.

Just a smart methodology of desiging product and processes or is it nothing more than common sense and just a iterative desiging process, which already exist since since the invention of the weel?! You name it....

(for the Eindhoven guys....do they teach this methodology in TM on the TU/e?, please let me know)